Full Circle
by Cleopatra Antoinette
Summary: What happened in the five years after they walked away from each other wasn't pretty. Then again, what happened before they had known each other wasn't much better. Sometimes they think the only time life was endurable was when they were together. J,M,F.
1. Chapter 1

Just my own thoughts on Jin's life after the seperation. I'll be doing ones on Mugen and Fuu as well, so it'll be a complete circle.

* * *

**Jin**

When Jin and his two friends parted ways that day, he had expected to be relieved. No more chaotic happenstances coming his way, no more having to put up with her complaining and his uncouth ways. But fate was an amusing and interesting things, changing things at a whim. The solitary samurai would never have believed that they would be friends, close, close friends at the end, but so they were. He felt strange and alone after they parted ways. He was so used to being with them, so used to having them close now. He had grown to enjoy their companionship greatly, despite their differences. It would have been hard to leave them had he not another purpose afterwards.

Shino.

He got over his sorrow at leaving with the thoughts that it would only be two more short years until he could see her again. He could easily take his time getting back to the temple where he left her in that time, and enjoy himself along the way. Meditation and the occasional job as a bodyguard would more than pay for his way. At first it was odd to him that he didn't have to figure in the cost of two others in the equation, but it was certainly easier.

Not that that made it better. He missed having voices around. But he counted on the fact that he and Shino would be able to start a new life together that kept him going. If Jin were allowed to have his way, he would return to Shino immediately and take her away to a new town, a new place where they could marry, raise children, be happy together. He thought he'd like children with Shino. Not a large houseful of course, because he and Shino were both quiet and tidy, but perhaps two, maybe three would be good.

Jin would sometimes chuckle to himself as he traveled, thinking about how Mugan and Fuu would have reacted if they'd known he wanted a family. He could almost see Mugan's disgusted but oh-so-slightly envious looks, and Fuu's surprised but happy face, although perhaps jealousy would have a small part of it. He thought of them sometimes, as he worked for various people to earn his keep, as he ate his meals in restaurants, as he walked for days at a time. He missed them, but it was not so bad. He had Shino.

...

Two years passed both quickly and slowly for Jin. Some days seemed agonizingly long, and he felt like it would never end. Other times they seemed to fly by, as though everyone was flying past him and he couldn't keep up. He made his way back faster than he thought he would, and he had plenty of money left over to keep him and Shino comfortable as they searched for a home. Since the bespeckled warrior was wary of going back into the city nearby (after all, he'd had his fill of old grudges coming back to bite him ages ago) he stayed in the area outside the temple, camping and hunting to sustain himself. He'd intended to wait exactly until the three years were up, but he was almost two months early.

On the one hand, Jin hated to break a rule which said three years. On the other, it _was_ nearly three years. If she couldn't come just yet, then he might still be able to see her. There was no harm in asking at least. So after a week of trying to stay patient, Jin threw in the towel and went to the temple.

...

He knocked on the Temple doors and respectfully inquired after Shino to the elderly man who opened came to greet him. He was courteously brought inside and asked to wait in the courtyard while the man when to ask the priest there if this was acceptable. After a few minutes, Jin was invited inside the temple and let to a room where tea and some light refreshments were provided. Jin was surprised at this. He hadn't expected to be stoned of course, but he hadn't expected this kind of treatment either.

He didn't like it.

Jin remained seated as the priest came in and introduced himself as the head of the temple. He sat across from Jin and they exchanged a few pleasantries while sipping the tea before the priest moved to the heart of the matter.

He set his cup down and took a breath before looking Jin in the eye. "I understand you wished to see Shino."

Jin nodded. "Yes. I helped her to escape the brothel and come here, and I was hoping that perhaps, if has been three years of course, that she may leave and come with me. I apologize in advance if I am a little early or a little late. I have been traveling, and it is somewhat difficult to keep a strict track of days in mind."

The priest looked solemn as Jin spoke, and when he answered his voice was grave and sorrowful. "I am so sorry, Jin. There is no kind or gentle way to say this… Shino has been dead for more than two years."

...

Jin was numb as he stood in front of the grave of the woman he loved. He felt frozen, not in the way he used to be, but frozen as though he couldn't move. He couldn't stop shivering. Over two years. He'd been wandering around for two years expecting her to greet him smiling and happy, and she'd been dead for two years. It wasn't illness that killed her. Jin had been expecting that to be the case when he finally managed to choke out a "How?" after getting over the initial shock. Or perhaps an accident where she'd injured herself. But no. It was no sickness or disaster that had killed her.

It was the two children, the two infants lying in the graves on either side of hers.

The priest had said they discovered she was pregnant two months after she arrived. She had admitted to missing her cycle a few times, but she had told them that she was always somewhat irregular, so she didn't notice anything really amiss until she got the morning sickness. Then the sudden weight gain, although she ate like a bird. It wasn't long before they figured out what it was. They had expected Shino to be upset, but she was ecstatic, the told Jin. The baby could have been anyone's child, really; her former husband's, some other customer's perhaps. But no, she said she knew it was Jin's. She could feel it.

"She always spoke to highly of you," the priest had said softly. "We knew you were a good man just by your actions alone, but for a woman like Shino to love you that much, we had no doubts about it."

They had, of course, expected a difficult pregnancy. Shino was so delicate, so soft and fragile. She was a strong woman, but it had taken a toll on her. She grew so big they were afraid that she'd be too small to give birth, and that was one of the factors that led to her death. There were other things too of course. The fact that there were twins, which was unexpected put a strain on her. The first child was a son. He was too large though, and she was so small. He suffocated before they could manage to get him out. The second child was a daughter. She, too, did not survive the birth. And Shino… Shino was in labor for more than two days. It was a miracle that she survived that long, a testament to her strong will that she had. But it didn't matter in the end.

She was dead, and so were their babies.

Jin knew they were his. His father had been a twin. His mother had been one as well, and he'd heard before that twins skipped a generation. And it was true, Shino was so tiny, so delicate and beautiful, so sweet and kind. He couldn't stop the tears coming to his eyes as he thought about what she must have gone through.

There were other complications too, they told him. The child was turned the wrong way, Shino had been ill earlier, so many things that contributed to her death. They told him that she had been so eager to have the children, his children, for them to start their lives together. It was all empty words. They only added to the hurt.

...

Jin wasn't sure what he was going to do now.

He had counted on Shino. She was gone.

He had nothing now. He was a samurai with only one opponent left that could best him, and he would not kill Mugen. He had no lord to serve, defeating the purpose of being a samurai at all. He had no lands, no home, no family, and since he discovered Shino's death, very little money since he spent most of it drinking.

At the end of it all, he was a broken and booze-soaked fool who was trying to think of one good reason why he shouldn't kill himself. The only thing he could think of was that Fuu and Mugen would kill him if they found out.

He realized later once he wasn't in a drunken stupor that this wasn't the most logical of thoughts, but it kept him going when all he really wanted to do was impale himself on his katana.

Of course, once the thoughts of Fuu and Mugen came up, he used them to keep himself from going off the deep end, so to speak. Thoughts of how they kept him on track kept flooding his mind, remembering how they'd kept him sane and at least somewhat high spirited after they left Shino. Somehow in his mind it worked out that if he found them again, it would work out. He'd be sane. And if he didn't find them, he'd have an excuse to live.

He thought about it later as he walked along. Perhaps it was some sort of fate that was making him do this. But he preferred to think that it was just random hapenstance. Then he wouldn't blame himself as much.

After all, their lives were surrounded by chance, which was a nice way of saying shit happened to them a lot. And if was happening to him, it was happening to them too. It was only right that the shit happened to them together.

He also made a note to himself to drink more as he set out. He thought much less when he drank.

* * *

I know, I know, it's dark and sad and sucky, but this is what came out when I sat down to write. Please review if you like it enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, guys. Sorry it took me so long to update this. Stuff happened and all that crap. But here's the next part of the story- what happened with Mugen in the five years. I hope you guys enjoy and still feel like reviewing.

Rated T for language and sex talk.

* * *

**Mugen**

Mugen hadn't had much of a plan when he split from Jin and Fuu. He was happy going on as he had before, just wandering and fighting when the opportunity arose. He was reckless as always, loving the battle and the rush of the kill. But somehow, after they had left, he realized that he was almost… calm. Usually he felt like he was a storm in the middle of a sea, churning things up. But now he was more like a rain, and wasn't a thunderstorm quite as often. He wasn't sure if he should be mad or not at this.

But Mugen tossed it out of his mind as he went on. He traveled and saw and got into many fights as usual, although this time it was more because people wouldn't leave him alone rather than him just picking fights. He was more prone to warning people when they were about to cross the line rather than just killing them outright. Maybe it was because they were always telling him not to start anything unless he had to. In any case, all he knew was that he didn't like slashing people as much. Later on the thought that maybe it was he had killed a whole shitload of people when the broad had been around. He thought fondly of her and her habit of getting into trouble. It always gave him an excuse to kill people. And Fish-Face was always a fun person to fight. The only one who could really give him a challenge, and it had been a great change from all the bozos who couldn't stand up to him for longer than a minute.

In fact, he mused to himself as he walked down yet another dirt road, life was almost kinda boring without them around to mess it up. What was the point of wanting a good fight when there was no one around to start it for some ridiculous reason?

Mugen was pretty aimless for those first few months, just getting money where he could, visiting brothels when he had the money, or just screwing any girl who gave him a second glance. It wasn't until he was halfway to nowhere that his break came along.

He had been walking down a street holding a jug of sake in his hand, chugging from it occasionally. He'd snatched off some idiot leaving who'd bumped into Mugen and tripped him up. Or so he thought. Mugen never let someone hit him and get away with it, and Mugen had wanted some booze for a while. The next thing he knew, there were a bunch of shouts, screams, and then blades drawn all around him. Apparently he was well known in more than just one area.

Well, it was fine by him.

With the alcohol in his system, he was even more uninhibited than even normal. He'd heard once there was a thing called going berserk, where you just went fucking crazy in battle and killed everyone around you. Mugen wasn't sure he'd ever experienced it before, but if he ever did, it was then. There was just something about it being the first good fight in months, with life on the line, that made him loose it. Most of what he remembered was red blood, and black spaces where he could just remember hearing screams of pain and death. It sounded beautiful.

But of course, it had to end eventually. And when his swords hit a pair knives and held his blow back, he couldn't help but try to clear his mind to see who could withstand him.

It was that damn ninja chick who never fucked him like she promised. That pissed him off even more. He would have killed her then, except that she wasn't alone, because someone hit the back of his head and then the next thing he knew it was all dark.

...

When he woke up, he was in a strange room, bandaged up, and laying on a bed with that ninja broad sitting next to him.

Needless to say, he was less than enthusiastic about the whole thing, which he made perfectly clear with many less than flattering words and threats. She had just sat there calmly waiting for him to shut up, and then told him that he had impressed the head of her guild, who had seen him fight. She offered him a place with them, as a warrior.

He told her to fuck off.

Then she offered him a chance to be a bodyguard, where he would be well paid and get to fight quite often. That he accepted.

He stayed in the house they had brought him to for a while, training and eating. He was as foulmouthed as ever, but no one challenged him, so he eventually stopped talking in favor of a simmering anger that could easily explode into violence at a moment's notice.

They had learned to work around that anger, to make him unleash it on his enemies only so that he was terrifying and terrible and everyone who ever fought with him knew it. He was a tool they used, but he was well fed and well clothed and he got to sleep and do whatever the hell he wanted when they didn't need him.

There was always something though. After about three months he figured out what it was.

He wanted a good fuck.

The red light district was always an option, he guessed, but the selection there was small at best. He didn't know what the hell was wrong with the people here, but whatever was wrong with their brains had to be serious for them to not realize what an awesome thing a red light district could be with a little work. The whores were pretty, but not noticeable in a way that made you want to keep going back. The sex was boring too. None of those stupid bitches had any imagination at all, and after a while Mugen found himself going there because he had nothing better to do, not because he was actually horney.

...

Mugen admitted to himself, as he pounded into her, that he probably should have seen it coming. Yatsuha had been staying around him since the day he showed up, acting all prissy and stuck up. That should have been a sign there. Rather than telling him to get the hell away (he could still see the way her eyes would flash and her voice would shatter glasses), she just sniffed at him until he'd had enough.

Now Mugen had her up against the wall and her nails were digging into his back and it felt _fucking amazing_. When they were done, she dragged him back to her place and he kept her on the bed all night, doing everything he'd been wanting to, but had never found someone he wanted to do it to. She screamed and cried and did just as much to him as he did to her, and as they finally started to pass out, Mugen felt a slight shiver go up his spine, and a small feeling of contentment that he'd only felt once before accompanied him to sleep.

...

Mugen had admitted he should have seen him and Yatsuha hooking up before. But he refused to say anything about knowing where she was coming from with this marriage shit. It hadn't been two weeks as lovers before she started dropping hints. It only took three months for her to start talking about weddings around him. It took her another couple months for her to finally say what she wanted.

It took her two years to wear him down to the point where he just came out and said what he should have told her that first night. They were at her house, alone and they were eating dinner when she told him that she wanted to get married, and it was the least he could do after two years of being in her bed. Mugen responded in the only way he really could. He stood up over her and started yelling.

"What the FUCK is wrong with you, you stupid _bitch_? When the hell have I ever said that I wanted to get married? NEVER! That's when! And before you start up with that goddamn 'sullied virtue' shit, just remember that you came and started it! You wanted me first and pushed me first so you got no one to blame but yourself! And you weren't no blushing virgin either, honey! You knew what I was and I knew what you were and that was that and all it's ever been for me is a good fuck! I'm not getting goddamn married, and sure as hell not to a controlling, stuck-up whore like you!"

"I'm pregnant, Mugen," Yatsuha said, staring up at him with her face closed like a book and her eyes empty of feeling. There was dead silence for a moment.

"Fuck," Mugen breathed.

...

Mugen agreed to marry her for the sake of the kid. And he refused to have a large wedding either. He settled that when he grabbed Yatsuha's hand one night and dragged her to a temple before a priest and said that either they were getting married then or they weren't getting married at all. Yatsuha agreed.

But three months later, Mugen was starting to get pissed. He didn't know much about pregnant women, but he knew that they showed at least a little. She was still flat as a board, and he could tell she got cramps sometimes, even though you weren't supposed to have those when you were pregnant. So he thought about it for a while and came to a choice.

He wasn't happy here. Sure he had food and stuff, but he was told what to do and when to do it, and no one seemed to understand he wasn't some tool. Okay, he was, but he had a mind of his own as well, and when someone backstabbed him, it was time to kill 'em. But he wasn't sure if Yatsuha was lying or if she was pregnant after all. If she was, he'd be killing her and the kid.

He settled for the easy option, and left one night. He didn't know if they were going to follow him, and he didn't care. He'd kill anyone who tried and they knew it. Mugen found himself reminiscing to before, when he had just two companions who argued with him but never made him be something he wasn't. They were good times, he remembered. Maybe now that he was out and around again, he could look them up. And get some money and food from them too.

* * *

And there is Mugen's story. I have to admit that Yatsuha kind of annoyed me. To be perfectly honest, she experienced the worst of Mugen- bloodthirsty, drunken lecher- and all she paid attention to was how well he could fight. She was begging for disaster when she said she wanted to marry him at the end. I honestly think this is how it would have turned out if they had met again.


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, people, last chapter in the story! I tried to make Fuu as in character as I could, considering that she's five years older and had some growing up to do. I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

**Fuu**

Fuu could admit to herself as she baked the bread to sell that day that her life was a little less glamorous than she had originally anticipated. Not that she minded it whatsoever- her home was sturdy and comfy, the bakery warm and busy, but never was it too busy. The man and woman who owned the bakery trusted her and paid her well, and the customers liked her. Her life was good. Comfortable. Safe. She didn't have to worry about whether she'd eat the next day, whether someone was going to kill her, or toss her into a brothel, or where she was going to sleep on a cold night. Fuu liked her life very much, and there wasn't much she would trade it for.

It's just that she wasn't _expecting_ it.

She had gone from a waitress at a tea house to running around the countryside with two hooligans who seemed to always get into fights or get themselves into trouble, or get HER into trouble. She had been kidnapped and rescued, almost raped on multiple occasions, gone hungry and cold more times than she could count, and, although she had never admitted it to anyone, she was often frightened of what would happen next.

Nevertheless, she had loved that time. The uncertainty, the craziness, the madcap antics- they had been exciting and dangerous and _fun_. Every day was a new adventure, and although she never knew what it would bring, she always knew that her two companions would be at her side. She had sort of thought (naively, she could admit to herself) that they would continue to influence her life in ways she couldn't imagine, leading her to make daring choices that would make a legend of her for years to come. She had expected Mugen's rude and abrasive nature would make her stronger and braver, more willing to do things she was scared to do. She had expected Jin's cold and calculating tendencies to make her think more, make her more willing to make hard choices. Fuu had thought that after them, she would go on and do things no one would have expected her to do. All because of Jin and Mugen.

A ronin and a pirate. What a combination. Not at all the kind of people she would have been expected to spend time with now that she was older.

And older she was. Fuu was taller now, more curved (though still nowhere near as voluptuous as the whores those two had been attracted to), her hair longer, and her eyes, although no darker or brighter than before, held wisdom and knowledge in their depths. She was more patient now, smarter, and could charm more easily. She was no longer a little girl to want wild adventures with two handsome men at her side. Fuu was respectable now. Married and widowed with one son, but making enough money to support them both well, and she was always polite and courteous. She had a place now where she wasn't ignored or treated as lesser. She had a home, and she was happy. Her mother would have been proud of her. She liked to think that her father would have been proud of her too, but she had never known him well enough to know for sure. But she at least knew that he wouldn't have called her a failure. That brought her comfort too.

And yet, sometimes, when the day's work was done and Isamu was asleep in his room, Fuu would sometimes wonder about her two companions as she sat brushing out her hair and getting ready for bed. If they were happy and content, if they found what they wanted, and if they were even still alive. Sometimes, although she was embarrassed to acknowledge it, she wondered if they ever thought of her too.

…

There was no denying it, or hiding it, or running away from the cold, hard truth that Fuu hated her relatives. No, she didn't just hate them. She loathed them. They were, to her, abhorrent, selfish, greedy toads who wanted to eat everything they could get their hands on without working for it. How her wonderful Benjirou had managed to escape from their clutches without being a complete and total bastard was a mystery to Fuu. Of course, the relatives she spoke of weren't her parent-in-laws. She had met them shortly before they had passed away of old age. They had been kind, decent people who had seemed to like her well enough. No, it was Benjirou's uncle and his worthless family that kept poking around.

Fuu sat in her small house with a forced smile on her face as she sat across from her toad-like uncle-in-law and offered him tea. Isamu (gods bless his little soul) was fast asleep in the corner, blissfully unaware of the battle Fuu was engaged in to protect their future.

"Honored Uncle Aito, I simply do not understand your wish to take over the funds which my husband, your nephew, explicitly left to me and our son in his will. Surely you wish to see your own flesh and blood taken care of?" Fuu's polite words masked her cold fury at him. Her husband, her best friend, her first lover and closest companion was no more than a month dead. Dead because he wanted to save a child from a fire. Dead because he was kind and honorable and had a beautiful soul. And now his slimy uncle wanted the money that he had earned_- Isamu's_ money. Fuu would be the first to admit that they didn't have much, but what they had was rightfully theirs and hard won.

Aito, however, had different thoughts on the matter. His bloated face leered back at her, his words dripping with lies so thick she could taste them. "My own treasured niece, you must understand. I wish only to take care of the two of you as members of my own family. After all, as a woman you cannot understand the complexities of life-" Fuu tried to keep her eye from twitching- "and therefore you also cannot possibly plan ahead to ensure the survival of the two of you. I simply want the funds so graciously left to you by my beloved nephew to ensure that they are kept safe until my great-nephew Isamu is old enough to take his rightful place in the world."

_In your dreams, you damned, disgusting, lecherous, lying, lazy toad! _"I can see the wisdom in your words, dear uncle, but allow me some time to prepare things so that all might be in order. I wish to go to the magistrate and ensure that all will be handled properly. After all," Fuu said, smiling sweetly, "we would not wish this to go about without proper documentation and protocol for such things."

Aito's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. He knew this girl was more cunning than she appeared. Rumors of her past were spread all over the village. Some said she was an escaped whore who ran away when she was able. Others said she had escaped an unwanted marriage. A few even dared to whisper that she was a spirit in disguise come to live among them as a mortal for love. Aito dismissed all these rumors as stupid, fanciful notions that were products of over-imaginative villagers. However, he could not deny that whatever Fuu may or may not be, stupid, she most certainly was not. Still… There wasn't much she could do against him. After all, he was now the only man in her life. As such, he was, by law, entitled to everything. Every last coin he could get from the two of them, he planned to get. As a woman she had no rights. No escape. So a wide, satisfied smile passed his lips and he graciously said "Of course, Fuu! I would not wish for you to worry about the legality of this transfer. I assure you, it is in the best interest of you and your son. Arrange it with the magistrate, and I will come to sign whatever documents you need me to." Fuu expressed her thanks and guided him to the door out, all the while wishing she still had an excuse to carry her small dagger in her kimono as she used to do.

…

"You sure about this, Fuu?" her kindly boss asked her as she stood with the woman in front of the oven in the bakery.

"Yes, Kei-sama, I'm afraid I have no other choice. Besides," she said, her voice picking up a cheery tone, "it's not as if I haven't done this before. I'm a survivor, and I can take care of myself easily."

"And Isamu?" Kei asked gently, her eyes full of concern. Fuu's face turned somber for a moment. It wouldn't be easy- a lone woman with a baby not even half a year old- but she knew she could do it. "It'll be hard, I know, but I also know that I can do this. We'll be stronger for it too. And don't worry," she interceded the woman opening her mouth to ask, "I promise that if things get too risky, I'll stop immediately and make sure everything is alright."

"Well…" Kei's wrinkled eyes mirrored the frown on her face. "If you're set on this, I won't stop you. Just remember to use your common sense and you should be fine."

Fuu's grin could have lit up the entire village on a moonless night. "Oh, thank you so much, Kei!" she cried, embracing her elderly employer. "I promise I'll keep in touch somehow. You won't regret this!" And without another word, Fuu set off.

Kei gave a small sigh and shook her head before turning back to the sweet buns she was baking. "Honestly, it's as though that girl was born with the wind in her feet."

…

Two weeks later, Aito stood in the middle of the small central room in what had once been Fuu's apartment. The furniture was gone, the money was gone, and all that was left was the new owner of the building angrily telling Aito that he was intruding, uninvited, into his home. That, and the note that Aito now held in his hands that shook with fury.

_Hey, fucker!_

_Just thought I should let you know, you're never going to get your fat hands on my son's inheritance. You and the rest of your lard-filled, toady family can just go to hell, since that's where you obviously came from. I'm sure they have a nice place reserved just for you!_

_I'd invite you to chase after us, but the idea is so laughable I'll just skip that bit and tell you you're a fat waste of human life in a sack, good for bitching and groaning. _

_Sincerely, your EX Niece-In-Law and Great-Nephew,_

_Fuu and Isamu_

Several miles away, a young woman in a pink kimono hummed cheerfully to the infant strapped to her back who giggled delightedly at the butterflies fluttering past. "It's a lovely day," Fuu said to herself. And once again she found herself wondering if it was a wonderful day for two others in her past as well.

* * *

And there we go. I was actually planning on making a sort of sequel based off these, in which the three adventurers meet up again and have some crazy times. Not sure though; it's still rattling away in my mind.

Sorry it took so long to get this thing up, but I wanted to make sure it was fairly perfect. I'm pretty happy with it, but as always, constructive criticism is welcome as well as reviews. I would ask though that if you want to add this story to your alerts or to your favorites that you leave a review telling me what you do and do not like about these stories so that I can improve in the future. Thank you very much!


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